Over worked and over stressed - Why can’t I ever catch up?

Nadine M. Furbacher, BBA, BA, MACP (Candidate)
Counsellor

In today’s society it’s not uncommon to multi-task all our responsibilities in order to fit everything into one day. Over time when we stretch ourselves too thin, it’s easy to get tired, resentful and cut corners. Aside from the daily demands of our work schedule, running our homes and managing families, it’s no wonder we often pass out at the end of the day from sheer exhaustion. Yet many have discovered that sleep isn’t restful and most look forward to the time when we can be right back in our beds again that night. So why can’t we ever catch up and slow ourselves to an even pace?

Aside from lack of sleep there are 3 more factors which add to our over-fatigued selves, leaving us too burnt out to get take our own personal time-out. Sadly in the day of convenience and instant gratification, the things we rely on to get us through the day are also culprits for draining our energy, attention and patience. First: We deal with technology all day long, from cell phone to email to web research to social networking and so on. Technology is sapping our mental energy by leaving us overly stimulated and processing information at warp speeds. Second: We consume too much caffeine and stimulants. Aside from the abundance of corporate coffee retailers available to us, this is the new age of the energy drink - designed to keep us psychically moving and speeding on a false sense of energy throughout day. Third: our lack of real exercise reduces physical and mental energy, which then keeps us locked in the vicious cycle of caffeine fixes and lounging in front of the television at the end of the day. All of these factors lead to little sleep, which ultimately results in burn out, stress and frustration with ourselves and our loved ones.

Counselling is the step on the path to help you slow your life down. It offers you time devoted completely to you, and helps you define what is a priority, what can wait, and what can be delegated. A visit with a counsellor helps you step back and look at how this fast paced lifestyle is taking a toll on building self awareness and goals of reaching a well balanced life style. Many of us love to be on the go, but it’s time to include mental health as a priority in our busy lives and come up with a plan that makes you ready, willing and refreshed for the day ahead.

Please call us
at 905.465.4595 for more
information
and to book your appointment with Nadine.

Fit in 15: The 15 minute fitness habit

How many times have you wanted to get “back into shape”? Lifestyle change is the most effective and elusive step in the road to better health and the prevention of chronic diseases. So how do you make it work and how do you make it last? Taking small, manageable steps is the best way to start a habit (or break a bad one!)

The Canadian Chiropractic Association has put together an easy to use program to help you become more fit in 15 minutes. Fifteen minutes of focused physical activity a day is an achievable goal for anyone and once it does become a habit then it may become easier to do even more.

The program is administered through an easy to use website www.fitin15.ca. The website allows you to build your own fitness program focusing on 3 areas: cardiovascular fitness, strength and flexibility. It also allows you to increase the difficulty of your program by adding more strength exercises and giving you ideas to boost your everyday calorie burning by changing your daily routine. Once you register, it will even send you an email reminder for 12 weeks to motivate you to continue the program.

So how is this different from every other program you’ve tried? The program has been developed by chiropractors who are experts in muscle and joint function and see first hand how low levels of physical activity can affect overall health. Getting active is hard! You’re busy, tired, have no time for the gym and you don’t know where to start. Nothing is easier than doing a quick walk to boost your heart and lungs, followed by a few simple exercises to increase your strength like arm curls or wall push ups and then some gentle stretching to help you bend and move easily.

Do you have any reason NOT to start? Chiropractors are well-trained to assess your strength and flexibility – and evaluate whether there are any red flags that would restrict your fitness activities. A chiropractor can conduct a fitness screening and establish some benchmarks that you can evaluate your progress against. If you experience a strain or sprain, chiropractors are educated to assess and diagnose the problem and provide appropriate advice and treatment.

Some research suggests that a new habit takes 3-4 weeks to become established. Fit-in your 15 minutes every day for a month and you may find yourself wondering how you ever got along without it. Health Canada’s guide to active living recommends 30 to 60 minutes of light to moderate physical activity 4 to 7 days a week for health benefits. Once you have your 15 minute habit in place, add 5 minutes then add five more. You will really start to feel the benefits.

Please call us
at 905.465.4595 for more
information
and to book your appointment with Dr. Shima Shahidy.

Klean
Kanteen® Stainless Steel Water Bottles

Klean
Kanteen® eco-friendly, durable, bpa-free reusable
stainless steel water bottles are now available at Wellness
for the Body

Why Klean Kanteen?
Klean Kanteen® provides choices that promote healthy
living with respect for the environment. We believe
that we can transform the world in which we live by
promoting environmental awareness and conservation.

Recent studies have shown that many
plastic water bottles including Lexan® bottles,
leach toxins, such as Bisphenol A (BPA). These studies
have linked BPA to breast cancer and reproductive mutations.

Good Health Is In Your Future
The stainless steel in your Kanteen is the high quality
food-grade stainless steel that goes through an electropolishing
process to smooth the surface. Klean Kanteen stainless
is 100 percent non-leaching and toxin free, making it
a safe, healthy alternative to plastic or lined metal
containers.

Purchase
Gift Certificates Over the Phone or Online

Now
purchasing the gift of health couldn't be any easier!
Gift certificates may be purchased over the phone or
online for any dollar amount, and can be sent to you
by regular mail or email within 2 business days.